Jackson Academy held the Scholastic Book Fair each day last week. Students discovered the latest books, journals, and other educational products. The book fair sparks students’ imaginations and ignites their love for reading, which aligns with JA’s start as a school founded to teach reading by phonics.
Lower School Librarian Lynn Watson was overwhelmed by families’ support of the Scholastic Book Fair and is grateful to those who helped throughout the week.
“The ‘book joy,’ as Scholastic calls it, is evident in the children’s smiling faces and in the fond book fair memories shared by our guests,” said Watson. “For this booklover, it truly is the best week ever!”
A love of books has been central to JA’s story since the school’s founding in 1959 as a primary school that taught reading by phonics. At JA’s inception, sight reading was the prominent method of teaching reading. JA’s approach to teaching reading was based on the research and phonics curriculum of the founding headmaster, Loyal Bearss, who had come to Mississippi from Michigan to teach at the college level. While in Mississippi, he taught at Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Millsaps College.
Jackson Academy will commemorate 65 years as an independent school during 2024. The anniversary year is an opportunity to celebrate school’s founding for the purpose of teaching reading by phonics and JA’s value to students and the community.
